The It’s Time Texas Community Challenge is a free 8-week, statewide competition in which Texas communities compete to see which communities can demonstrate the greatest commitment to healthy living! The 2021 Community Challenge kicks off on January 4th and ends at 5:00pm (CT) on February 28th.

Staying healthy is more important now than ever. To ensure participants would be able to safely take part in the 2021 Community Challenge, we have made some exciting changes to build a virtual environment that ensures health and safety of all participants, while continuing to encourage healthy living and the community level movement for healthier systems.

We encourage all participants to maintain social distance, wear masks and stay safe while participating in any Community Challenge related activity, including completing healthy actions. If you would like to take part in a group activity to earn points, we recommend hosting or attending a virtual event, like a fitness class on zoom. If a virtual event isn’t possible, you could also organize a mini event with attendance below 10 people and maintain social distance. Please see CDC guidelines on group gatherings.

If your community has a mayor, then it is in our system.

Did you know there are more than 3,000 cities and towns in Texas? With so many communities in our great state, we've created 5 size categorizes, which are based on community population, to try and pit similarly sized communities against one another. The population breakdown is as follows:

• Metro - 300,000+
• Large - 100,001 - 300,000
• Mid-sized 40,001 - 100,000
• Small - 5,001 - 40,000
• Extra Small - 1 - 5,000

It’s Time Texas does not to collect or request personal information from people under 13 nor do we allow them to register. If you are under 13, please do not try to register on the It’s Time Texas Community Challenge website or send any information about you to us, including your name, address, telephone number or email address. No one under the age of 13 can provide any personal information to It’s Time Texas or on the It’s Time Texas Community Challenge website. In the event that we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under the age of 13 without verification of parental consent, we will remove that information as quickly as possible. If you believe we have any information from or about a child under 13, please contact us.

Internet Explorer, particularly older versions of the browser, create known bugs and issues when using Community Challenge website. For that reason, we strongly recommend that you do NOT use Internet Explorer and instead use Chrome, Firefox, or Safari to view and interact with the Challenge website.

The Community Challenge is generously supported by H-E-B, along with our other founding allies, SNAP-Ed. The Challenge is an initiative created and managed entirely by It’s Time Texas, an Austin-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that champions the movement for a healthier Texas by making healthy lifestyles more accessible to all Texans. Our programs and partnerships empower Texans to lead healthier lives, build healthier communities, and contribute to a healthier state. All inquiries submitted through the contact form on the Community Challenge website will reach It’s Time Texas staff, who will assist you. Our staff looks forward to helping with questions regarding the competition and website. H-E-B-specific inquiries should be submitted directly to them via the H-E-B website at www.heb.com.

You can purchase Community Challenge Gear for $30 at Registration by selecting the Gear Package + Registration option.

Or you can purchase Community Challenge Gear throughout the Challenge at the Community Challenge Store. A variety of merchandise is available for purchase from hats, masks, sweatshirts, and tees.

Please don't' hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or need additional support. The IT'S TIME TEXAS offices are open from 9-5, Monday - Friday, and we'll do our best to get back to you within 24 hours. Inquiries submitted over the weekend will be responded to by 5:00 pm the following Monday.

Yes. This year we are introducing the new Community Challenge App! Everyone interested in joining the 2021 Community Challenge can register at https://ittcommunitychallenge.com/registration/. Once we get closer to the start date for the Community Challenge, we will send you a link to download the new Community Challenge app.

Fear not! Contact us to let us know if you don't see your community listed. We'll happily get your community in the system. Please note that in order for a community to participate, it must have a mayor in term.

You can only pick one community to represent, and points will only be awarded to the community you select to represent during registration.

If you would like to change the community and/or school district you have registered under, please contact our support team at [email protected] and we can get that updated for you.

No - You must have the app to participate in the 2021 Community Challenge. We have moved the competition from the website this year and the only way to log healthy actions for points is through the free, bilingual mobile app.

Once you have registered for the Community Challenge, you should receive communication from our team with a link to download the Community Challenge App in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Each participant should receive this communication to the email address they registered with for the Community Challenge. Participants who shared their phone number during registration will also receive a text message with a link to download the app directly.

Once you have downloaded the Community Challenge app, you will input the email address you registered with and create a password for your Community Challenge account.

In order to participate in the Community Challenge, all participants must first register for the Community Challenge on the registration website.

New to the Community Challenge this year are weekly mini-challenges. These are challenges are based on specific activities that can be completed in the Community Challenge App like attending virtual or socially distanced group activities you found on the app, receiving High Fives, checking in at different locations on the app, or earning the most points in a week. Each week their will be a different mini-challenge to participate in.

Once you have logged into the Community Challenge App, you can submit your healthy activity by selecting the camera icon at the bottom of the app screen labeled “Report.” In order to report your healthy activity, you will need to take a photo of that activity. If you already have a photo from your activity saved on your camera roll, you can select “From My Photos” when prompted after selecting to report an activity. Once you have selected your photo, you can opt to share your activity on your Community Feed by selecting “Share with Community” or simply select “Report Only” if you would like to earn points without sharing your photo. To complete the submission of you healthy activity, you will need to share the title of the activity, a brief description and select the activity type (i.e. walking, healthy meal, pledge, etc.) then press “Report” at the bottom of your app screen.

If you would like to submit a healthy activity without sharing your photo with everyone, you can simply select “Report Only” when you are reporting your activity. This will allow you to earn points for you healthy activity without sharing your photo with your community. You will still need to upload a photo with your submission, but it will not be shared on the Community Challenge App.

No. We understand selfies aren’t for everyone. So we’ve changed the criteria for posting a ‘healthy selfie’. Where we used to require that you show your face when posting photos to earn points for your healthy activities, you now have a lot more flexibility. Face or no face, upload a photo that shows you in the act of eating a healthy meal, drinking water, or engaging in a healthy activity, and you’ll earn points for your community. Whether it’s a photo of the park you’re walking in or a selfie of you taking a walk, it counts!

IT'S TIME TEXAS team members review content uploaded to the app every day to ensure that each upload adheres to the rules and regulations of the Community Challenge activities. At times, there are hundreds of activities uploaded to the app every day. During these more active periods, we're not always able to review it all in real time, but it will happen. Should we find uploads that do not meet the rules and regulations, we will delete it from the platform, which will also remove any points previously awarded. Because of this, we encourage you to take extra time to make sure what you're uploading follows our guidelines.

You can share your virtual or socially distanced group activity with your community by selecting “Organize Activity” in your Community Challenge dashboard. To share your organized activity, you will need to provide a title, brief description, the type of activity that will be completed, the start and end dates and times and a photo that will give individuals interested in joining an idea of what type of activity you are organizing. This can be your organizations logo, a photo of a flyer for the activity, or a generic photo related to the activity.

All virtual and socially distance activities that have been shared by participants can be found under the “Discover” feature in the Community Challenge app. You can use the Map feature to see socially distanced activities that have been organized near you, or view the List feature to see all activities organized during the Community Challenge, including virtual events and activities.

To RSVP for a virtual or socially distanced group activity, you will use the List function under the “Discover” feature in the Community Challenge app. This enables you to view all organized activities. Once you find an activity you would like to participate in, you can click “RSVP” next to the listing. Once you have RSVP’d for the activity, you can find the location of the activity by selecting “Go!” next to the listing.

Once you have RSVP’d for an organized activity, you can find this activity in your Community Challenge calendar. You can view your Community Challenge calendar by selecting the Menu button at the top left corner of your screen and selecting “My Calendar.” In your calendar, you will see a list of the activities you have RSVP’d for that day, as well as a calendar with future activities.

We are excited to announce that Community Challenge participants can find local parks and trails for safe outdoor activities in the Community Challenge app. To find parks and trails near you, check out the “Discover” feature in the app. The Map feature under the Discover feature will show all of the nearby parks and trails. Get directions to the destination you would like to visit by clicking on a green tree icon and pressing “Go!”

You can earn destination points by checking into a location using the “Discover” feature on the Community Challenge App. You can find a specific location by using the Map feature and clicking on a green tree icon. After you have selected your destination, you can get directions by pressing “Go!” in the location you have selected. Once you are within 75 meters of your destination, you will be able to earn your destination points by selecting that location within the Discover feature by clicking the same green tree icon and selecting “check in.”

High Fives are a fun way to stay connected with other Community Challenge participants . You can give High Fives to other participants using the “Community” feature in the Community Challenge app. Under each photo in the Community Feed, you will have the option to give High Fives to other participant by simply clicking the “High Five” icon.

In order to receive High Fives, you must share at least one photo to the Community Feed by selecting “Share with Community” when you are reporting your activity. The more fun and exciting activities you share to the Community Feed, the more High Fives you are likely to receive.

You can view the number of High Fives you have given and received in your Community Challenge dashboard.

All leaderboards can be accessed using the “Challenges” feature in the Community Challenge App. Under Challenges you will be able to view leaderboards for the overall Challenge, as well as for the weekly mini-challenges.

Community Leaderboard
The Community Leaderboard will show the rankings of all communities by point totals based size category. You can check this leaderboard daily to see how well your community is doing during the Community Challenge.

School District Leaderboard
If you have opted into the School District Sub-Challenge, the School District Leaderboard will show the rankings of all school districts by point totals based on size category. You can check this leaderboard daily to see how well your school district is doing during the Community Challenge.

Employer/Organization Leaderboard
If your employer or organization has signed up for the Employer/Organization Sub-Challenge, the Employer/Organization Leaderboard will show the rankings of all employers and organizations by point totals. You can view this leaderboard to see how well your employer/organization is doing during the Community Challenge. Please keep in mind that all employers and organizations participating in this year’s Challenge vary in size.

Under this leaderboard, you will also be able to view how you rank in comparison to individuals in your workplace or organization. You can view your specific leaderboard by selecting your employer or organization on the overall Employer/Organization Leaderboard.

Team Leaderboard
If you have opted into the Team Sub-Challenge, the Team Leaderboard will show the rankings of all participating teams by point totals. You can check this leaderboard daily to see how well your team is doing during the Community Challenge.

Under this leaderboard, you will also be able to view how you rank in comparison to your team members. You can view your specific team leaderboard by selecting your team name on the overall Team Leaderboard.

All activities you have submitted can be view under you activity report. You can view your activity report by selecting the Menu button at the top left corner of your screen and selecting “My Reported Activity.” This will show all of the activities you have reported on the Community Challenge app including the activities you have not shared with your Community Feed.

To support you on your health journey during the Community Challenge, we have include some fun and helpful health resources in the Community Challenge App. You can access the resources by selecting the Menu button at the top left corner of your screen and selecting “Resources.”

You can change your password within the Community Challenge App by selecting the Menu button at the top left corner of your screen and selecting “Settings.” Once you are in your settings, click “Account Settings” then “Reset Password.”

Forgot you password to log into the app? No worries! Just select “Forgot Your Password?” and create a new one using the email address you registered with for the Community Challenge.

Once you have logged into the Community Challenge app, you can add or update your profile picture by clicking the circle at the top of your app screen and select “Update Profile Photo.”

We are excited to announce that the Community Challenge app offers integration with Apple Health and Google Fit! To sync your Apple Health or Google Fit data, select the Menu button at the top left corner of your app screen and click “Health Data Sync.” In order to sync your health data, you must allow permissions by selecting “allow all categories.” Once you have allowed the Community Challenge app permissions, be sure to click the “Auto Sync” toggle switch. This will allow the Community Challenge app to automatically sync your exercise and award you points for each activity.

While we hope that all photos shared are appropriate for a diverse audience, we know there may be instances where you may want to report a photo that doesn't meet that standard. You may report a photo by selecting the three dots at the top of any photo within the Community Feed. Once you have selected this icon you will select “Report Abuse” and our team will be notified to review this activity.

There are a number of different ways to earn points for your community! To start, you must be a register for the Community Challenge and you must download the Community Challenge app.

Below are all the ways you can earn points within the app when you submit healthy actions during the Challenge:

Healthy Action	Description	Points	Limits
Early Registration	Registering for the 2021 Community Challenge before January 3, 2021	500 + 250 bonus points	one
Registration	Registering for the 2021 Community Challenge	500	one time
Host a Virtual Registration Event	Put on a free, virtual event to get people registered for the Community Challenge with a fun healthy activity for 15 or more people. Be sure to take a photo of your event and share it with us at www.surveymonkey.com/r/ccevent-reg to earn your points.	5,000	2 events per person
Report a Healthy Activity	Take a photo of your healthy activities and upload them to the Community Challenge App by selecting "Report Activity." These activities can include physical activity, healthy meals, water consumption, attending a virtual or socially distanced healthy small group activity, and signing a healthy pledge.	100	10 healthy actions per day
Share a Mayor Challenge Video	Have the Mayor of your city submit a video promoting the It's Time Texas Community Challenge, post it on YouTube, and share the link with us here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/ccmayorvideo	1,000	one time

Click here to download our big picture pdf, which provides suggestions and ideas to help you earn points!

Points earned through the app (posting healthy activities such as healthy eating or exercise) only allow for a daily maximum of 1,000 points. After you reach 1,000 points for the day the app will allow you to continue to log activities but your points will no longer contribute to your overall Challenge Points. Points for registration, registration events or Mayor videos do not effect the 1,000 point daily maximum.

Multiple pledges can be uploaded to your account but you will only receive 100 points for the first pledge you upload. We encourage every pledge maker to make their own account and upload their pledge to maximize the most points possible for your school or community and participate in the Community Challenge. If you would like to receive points for more than one pledge that you have uploaded please contact [email protected] for next steps.

Because there are often hundreds of participants submitting activities at the same time, we've enabled caching on a number of the points and stats you see throughout the Community Challenge website, which helps keep site speed and load times more manageable but also means some of the points and stats do not update in real-time. For instance, if you submit a selfie, the point total on your user profile page won't immediate reflect the 50 points you've earned. Rest assured, however, you will earn points for all activities submitted that adhere to our daily and user rules and limits, and you will typically see the stats and totals refresh and update every hour or two.

Contact the Community Challenge Support Team at [email protected].

You can now contact our support team directly through the Community Challenge App by selecting the Menu button at the top left corner of your screen and selecting “Contact Us”.

We’ve added an additional way to compete this year. In the new Team Sub-Challenge, you and your friends, family, or whoever you choose can form a team to compete together in the Community Challenge! You will compete against other small teams of 5 or less for the top Teams prize. There will be a separate leaderboard for the Teams Sub- Challenge.

Learn more on how to register as a team here.

The School District Sub-Challenge is a separate, side-competition for individuals who would like to earn points for a schools and/or school districts in Texas. This means that by opting in, every time you submit a healthy activity and earn points, your school district will also receive credit for your points during this year's Community Challenge.

For example, Mrs. Jane Doe lives in Taylor and is a teacher at Austin ISD. During registration, she chooses Taylor as her community and selects to opt-in to the School District Challenge. During the first week of the Challenge, she uploads a Healthy Selfie, worth 100 points. Because she opted into the District Challenge during registration, she has earned 500 points for both Taylor AND Austin ISD. Had she not opted-in to the School District Challenge, those 500 points would only have been awarded to Taylor. Way to go, Mrs. Doe!

Yes! We've pre-loaded a list of Texas schools and school districts, which was provided to us by National Center of Education Statistics. The list of districts is accessible to users who opt-in to the School District Challenge during registration.

If you don't see your school district on the list, please contact us to let us know.

If you want to participate in the School District Sub-Challenge, but forgot to opt-in during registration, please contact the Community Challenge Support Team at [email protected] via email or by selecting “Contact Us” in the Community Challenge app and we will get your School District information updated.

It's important to note that if you do forget to opt-in during registration but decide to do so at a later date, only those points you earn after you've opted-in will be awarded to your district. Points earned before you opted-in cannot be retroactively awarded.

No. In order to participate in the School District Sub-Challenge, you must also be participating in the Community Challenge, meaning you are required to represent a Texas community.